


Wasted

by neon



Series: The Red Shot Bar AU [7]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Established Relationship, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Overstimulation, Unsafe Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:48:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neon/pseuds/neon
Summary: Part Six of theRed Shot Bar AU: Avalanche doesn’t exist. Barret is the owner of theRed Shotbar in Sector 7’s slum, and Cloud is the former SOLDIER turned mercenary who’s rolled into town.Cloud slid his key into the door, and with a quiet sigh of relief, walked in through the back of theRed Shot.
Relationships: Cloud Strife/Barret Wallace
Series: The Red Shot Bar AU [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858192
Comments: 13
Kudos: 86





	Wasted

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly this was born from this line in "Lower Your Inhibitions": _It wasn’t every day someone could push Cloud around however they wanted._

Cloud slid his key into the door, and with a quiet sigh of relief, walked in through the back of the _Red Shot._

"Cloud!"

The partition swung, and a pale blur careened past and collided to a stop against Cloud’s side.

"You’re back!"

Cloud tipped one way to drop his duffel, then tipped the other to raise up Marlene. Her long legs dangled either side of his hip where she balanced. She grinned, her face round from it, her brown eyes large and cheerful.

Cloud’s own admiring stare drifted shut and, gently, he pressed his forehead to hers.

"…Cloud?"

"Just glad to be back," he answered in a whisper. He leaned away again and brushed her own bangs back in place. Returned her smile, with a fainter one.

She nestled closer, circling arms tightly around his neck. "Us, too! Daddy’s been moping the _whole_ time you’ve been gone."

Cloud placed a hand on Marlene’s back, catching her braid, too. He glanced beside her to look over Barret’s way.

The man stood by the corner of one of the bar’s tables, but he took up the room. Like always. Wasn’t just his mass that created such a magnetic pull, though. Mostly that was due to the size of his personality.

His wide stance canted with his hand big on his hip. His smile was closed but stretched long across one cheek. His dark eyes were full of gladness.

He’d hung back to take in his daughter’s welcome first. But as soon as Cloud’s eyes were on him, he barreled straight through the partition, too. His massive hug squeezed the both of them tight. His laughter tripped slow, mirthful.

Cloud pulled an arm out from where it was trapped between them, and wrapped it around Barret, grabbing back firm.

Barret let them breathe, once he heard Marlene’s muffled, _Urgh… Daddy!_ "Sorry, baby." His arm relaxed around them, and he looked down at Cloud.

Damn it, Cloud thought. He didn’t want Barret to let go.

Every wall he’d built while away had fallen the moment he’d slid his key into the door, so his gruff disappointment must’ve shown. Judging by the amused glints in Barret’s grin, anyway.

"Hey," said Cloud.

"Hey." Pulled in as inextricably, Barret bowed. When he met and molded against Cloud’s lips, his beard prickled.

Cloud reopened his eyes, to see Barret shaking his head the slightest while taking him in.

A promising burn glowed in the centers of his eyes. Cooling down, for the moment, though. Not the time. Right.

"You bet, we missed you."

"Yeah." Cloud breathed in. "Same here."

Cloud crouched so Marlene could regain her footing. His hand curved over the top of her hair pulled back. He remained crouched to unzip his duffel, and removed a music disc that he handed to her. Marlene gasped.

She clutched the disc and bounded to the jukebox. Spinning as the music started, giggling at the end of her rotation, she asked between the two of them, "Can I bring this to Betty’s tonight? Please?"

 _Sure you can,_ Barret answered. Cloud straightened. Barret grabbed his own chin and glimpsed sidelong at Cloud with humor.

"Startin’ to think you spoil her bad as I do…"

"Not possible," answered Cloud, with a roll of his eyes. _Hmph_ , Barret sounded, though his shrug said he admitted to the truth of that. Barret was still the most doting parent Cloud had ever come across.

Barret started toward the table he’d come from, Cloud following in heavy boots. The chair dragged its feet, too, when Barret pulled one out to sit.

"So. How’d things go over in Sector 5?"

Cloud nimbly lowered onto a chair beside, but sagged onto his elbows, feeling the taut strain of the muscles across his shoulders when he did. Sitting was a relief he wasn’t going to admit out loud.

"Good. Their Watch should be set to push back hobgoblins, and worse now, if they have to."

"Should hope so. Month’s long enough to teach 'em new recruits."

" _Mm._ " Cloud leaned his chin into his palm. "They did good. They should be proud."

"Well, listen to you… mister Watch leader man."

Cloud waved a dismissive hand. Barret’s smirk stayed plastered in place.

Cloud went on, murmuring, "Gotta report with the others, now that I’m back…"

"That can wait."

Cloud hummed, agreeing. Barret’s arm covered the back of Cloud’s chair, and Cloud could feel the warmth of his skin blanketing his right side and shoulders. Exhaustion was tumbling down, no walls blockading it anymore. Cloud’s eyelids stung merely from staying open, catching relief from more and more prolonged blinks.

Admitting small defeat from his worn out travels, Cloud let his eyes have their way and close.

"Wasted, ain’t ya?"

Cloud roused himself at Barret’s voice, and the absence of music. He angled toward Marlene, where she’d moved to stand next to him. She was leaning to look up into his face, with an exasperated expression on hers.

" _Cloud_ , you should go to bed if you’re tired!"

"Maybe I should," Cloud admitted with a small smirk. "Would rather hear what I missed, though."

Marlene knelt on the chair across and chattered away. Barret occasionally added his deep-voiced commentary. Between them, Cloud sat at ease. Glad to be home.

* * *

There weren’t many patrons left on the slower night, but they all groaned, when Barret walked to the jukebox and started playing them out with those awful chocobo beats.

 _No…!_ Wedge wailed. Biggs covered his ears. Jessie bopped her shoulders.

Biggs complained, "What gives? It’s way too soon for that!"

"Closing early. Got plans," answered Barret. He slid his fingers down and pinched their glasses together to clear the table himself and said, without real heat, but in all seriousness, "Go on and get the hell out."

Cloud laid his arm over the back of his chair to twist and watch Barret walking behind the bar, raising his voice to say to his crew, _Why don’t y’all bust out early, too?_

"Guess we can finish up tomorrow," Cloud told the others, turning back with a shrug.

"You got it, leader," said Wedge, raising one of his thumbs.

"Thought I said not to call me-"

"Oh, right! Sorry, bro."

Cloud’s shoulders dropped when he sighed.

Jessie sprung up from the table, winking back down. "You’re covering our tab, right, generous leader?"

Cloud scoffed, "Think again." Smirked, unyielding, without looking at the tongue she poked between her lips at him.

"Some things never change," she lamented, dramatically. "Like you and your stingy-"

"Alright, alright." Biggs tipped his hand in the air toward Cloud. "Give him a rest. He’s had a long month."

He started herding her and Wedge toward the door. Cloud caught the keys Barret suddenly tossed at his back, locking up behind everyone while saying, _Yeah. Good night._

The keys clunked when Cloud flattened them back to the bar’s wood surface. Barret shuffled around the room running the rag in his hand across the bare tabletops, and Cloud perched on a stool, heel of his boot catching the rail underneath after the slow drag up of his knee. Still drained, after the trip from Sector 5. Wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, since the way was packed with mutated monsters and malfunctioning mechs. Just more of the never ending detritus falling from Shinra. At least Cloud could be certain the Watch there could handle the mess, too.

Studying Barret’s wide back, Cloud waited to be let in on what was with closing early. Barret had said plans.

He guessed, "Weapons deal move up?"

Barret showed his profile and one raised eyebrow with it. "Huh? No meet up happening tonight."

"Oh."

Cloud tapped a finger on the bar. With the same hand he grabbed the back of his neck to stretch. Done with, the cloth Barret tossed hit the side of the sink.

Cloud gave up on his neck with his dropped hand and sighed. "Then why…"

Cloud groaned when Barret covered and squeezed his shoulder, and every knot that formed it.

"Thought so." Barret folded his palm, bunching the skin under. Cloud, being pushed forward by the force, braced his hands on the bar’s edge. "You been runnin’ yourself into the ground since leaving. Undoing all my hard work. Thought I taught you to relax."

Cloud grunted. Each squeeze was on the edge of painful, before Barret released him and picked a new spot to pack pressure. Finally, Cloud caved, folding his hands on his thighs below the bar, bending until his cheek laid on top. "Alright… you do remember how."

Barret kept rubbing him rough, and Cloud’s eyes fluttered shut.

His skin became tingling, warm, after Barret crushed the tension with his hand, like glass turned to dust under a twisting boot toe. When he moved further down, heel of his hand digging into the raised ridges both sides of Cloud’s spine, he displaced a quiet, appreciative groan, too. He followed the lines of Cloud’s ribbed shirt back up, to briskly scratch and even out the pressure.

"Better," said Barret. Then removed his hand.

Cloud whined. Verging, almost, on a desperate sound.

"Whoa, now… Alright, there?"

Cloud hadn’t realized he’d been deprived of touch so bad until Barret’s hand was on him. Then gone. A stuttering, low breath from the back of his throat was the only answer Cloud could come up with. He thinned his lower lip in his bite. Then he nodded against the bar. "Just feels… feels good."

Fingers carded up through the back of Cloud’s hair. An added touch meant to relieve. "Think I know what you mean, Cloud. Been waitin’ too long to get my hand on you again…"

Cloud dragged his cheek up, unable to ignore the heat on the tops of his ears as he turned on the bar stool, or the pounding thud of his erection. Hot and weighty, Barret’s hand reached its way under Cloud’s zipped open collar.

Cloud’s breaths deepened. He let his gaze wander over the dark skin and hair revealed above Barret’s white tank neckline, flicking to the glint of his earring, and his eyes beside.

A look, as burning as an overheated gun barrel, was being aimed at Cloud.

"You were making plenty of noises, y’know."

Took a minute, but Cloud had managed to figure out why Barret had been so intent on closing early. A corner of Cloud’s mouth tilted upward.

Prodding back he remarked, "Moping, huh? Wonder what that looked like."

Barret snorted, refraining from rolling his eyes.

"I ain’t ashamed to admit I missed you."

"That right," said Cloud. "How much, big man?"

One eyebrow of Barret’s skid smoothly up. He’d heard Cloud’s nickname for him, alright.

He took a heavy step forward so that he was looming. Cloud braced himself, readily.

"A damn lot. C’mere."

Cloud was picked up and thrown over Barret’s shoulder.

"The - hell-?"

He hung, upside down, facing Barret’s back. The thrilling shock of that reverberated, with Barret clapping him on the ass.

Cloud jerked and groaned, then melted an instant later when Barret’s deep chuckles thrummed through both of them. Cloud rubbed his forehead, hard, on Barret’s lower back. Twisted Barret’s shirt in his fists.

He’d _missed_ the big bastard, and his effortless manhandling.

"Barret…"

" _Mm-hmm._ " Cloud lurched from Barret adjusting him. Then Barret kneed through the partition and carried him up the stairs, footsteps resolutely thumping to their bedroom.

Inside the door he tripped, catching the corner of Cloud’s chest half hidden by the cape Cloud had stripped off and laid there when he’d gotten back. When Barret stamped his shuddering foot back to the floorboard, he hefted Cloud through the air toward the bed.

Cloud landed from free fall with a neat bounce. Barret gave the chest another knock with his boot, earning Cloud’s protest. _Hey._ He kept his materia in that chest.

"Yeah, yeah…" Barret tugged his laces and kicked his boots off, then got Cloud’s off for him, too.

Then, he used his weight to push Cloud to the covers.

He growled alongside Cloud’s ear, "Missed this bed smellin’ like you." Cloud yanked Barret by the short rows hanging at his nape, so he could get at his mouth.

Their lips smacked. Barret’s tongue probed easily through Cloud’s already opening mouth, and Cloud ran his fingers down the parts in the rows covering Barret’s head. Barret hummed from the feel of Cloud’s hands, Cloud knew. He slid them further down to pile Barret’s shirt up his broad back. The two of them pressed close. Cloud wanted to get closer, already.

Barret was cocky when he jabbed, "Miss me too, did ya?"

"Shut up," replied Cloud.

His effort to get Barret out of his damn shirt was put to a stop, with Barret pushing him to the bed further, so close Cloud had to twist his face away and lay one side to the mattress. He gripped Barret hard around his back, where his stopped arms still reached.

"Awfully clingy." Barret nosed strands of blond hair out of his way to tongue Cloud’s ear.

"It’s been a damn month," Cloud grunted beside the bed, suppressing his shiver. He fisted Barret’s shirt again. Huffed at his limited mobility. " _Off._ "

" _Hmm_." Barret leveraged back, and hovered. Giving Cloud the room to turn his face back up, and see the slight crinkling of Barret’s considering eyes. Coming up with a plan.

Barret told him, "Get on your stomach."

Cloud winced from his stiff erection brushing the bed, and gingerly readjusted. Next to him the bed dipped, Barret weighing down the edge while sitting to finish the job Cloud had started removing his shirt. When he stood, Cloud heard the metal tap of his belt buckle coming undone.

After reaching for his own fly, Cloud shifted his pants down his legs and off his feet that hung over the bed’s edge. Just when he reached under himself and pulled the zipper on his shirt all the way down, Barret’s hand grabbed the scruff of it to yank off.

The backs of his fingers then slapped the insides of Cloud’s bare upper thighs. Cloud spread them.

With a grunt, Barret settled so his bent leg touched along Cloud’s waist. Cloud turned his face toward Barret, tracking him. The edges of him he could see, anyway.

He heard the flip of a cap. Felt the drops and the wet slide down his backside. Then Barret’s fingers, spreading slickly through his crease.

Cloud remembered to breathe at the first insistent push. Sort of forgot around the second or third. "Fuck," he muttered, feeling the sting from the stretch.

When he turned his face the opposite way to screw his eyes shut, Barret slid his fingers most of the way out. "Naw, don’t you go behind your damn walls, being a tough guy. You hurtin’?"

"Goddamn month," Cloud grit out.

"Should’ve said something…" He coated Cloud more. Went back down to one finger. "You wanna look this way again?"

Cloud sighed, _Sure._ When he did turn, Barret bent over to catch his mouth. Kissing him firm. Slow. The same kind of movements as his finger.

Cloud jolted, then eased back down, when Barret bumped his prostate. When he had to break from Barret’s mouth to pant, he also said, "Good - I’m good for another."

"Alright." Barret swung back up, looking as he pushed in his second finger.

Panting breaths exhaled more often as moans from Barret keeping his fingers in to relentlessly stroke. Cloud’s listless humping rustled the sheets under him, his skin touching the cool, wet spot forming beneath him.

Barret backed off his reach, pumping slowly instead. "Three?"

"Y-yeah. ’S good."

Barret took him at his word. And then some. Cloud groaned at the tug of skin when Barret thumbed alongside his three fingers. Languidly popping the tip inside, too.

"Barret - I’m-"

"Feelin’ ready, now? 'Cause I don’t think I can hold back much longer."

There was a charge in the air Cloud felt along his exposed back. Barret’s heat, the leaking vapor of his pent excitement, ever since smothering that look he’d had when Cloud had first walked into the bar, ready to explode.

"Then don’t," came Cloud’s gruff reply.

Cloud felt the shadow of Barret’s palm before it landed to cover his shoulder. Barret asked him in a deeper, rumbling timbre, "You wanna stay just like this?"

Cloud swallowed.

He remembered the feel of the edge of the bar digging into his hands, how hotly he’d burned when he’d been pinned between it and Barret’s hand. Remembered what it was that had made him so hard.

"I…"

"Go on. Tell me."

Right, Cloud remembered. No walls left between them.

The tips of his ears he knew were red. Nothing to hide, but he still got stupidly flustered when he had to put words to his want.

"I, uh. You mind… holding me down?"

The silence was broken by Barret’s hard breath blowing through his nostrils. Cloud felt his stare press even heavier than his hand.

"Alright… put your arms behind your back."

Cloud shifted his weight, mostly onto his face, as he folded his arms behind himself. Finally deciding to cross his wrists loosely on top of each other.

Barret’s thumb hooked underneath and pressed on the knuckles of his fingers that folded over, locking Cloud’s wrists.

Cloud breathed in sharp. Swore every pound of blood fell to his throbbing dick on the bed. Leaving his vision briefly white. Barret held him still, until Cloud could get his head straight.

Testing, Cloud stretched his arms. But Barret’s hold didn’t budge, Barret exerting equal force.

They both knew Cloud _could_ break the hold. But it would take effort. That was the thing. Barret was about the only person who could hold Cloud in place. Definitely was the only one Cloud would ever let, and enjoy letting.

Cloud pushed his groaning face harder on the mattress. "Shit," he gasped.

Barret’s grip tightened to go along with his point.

"Don’t really see how either of us can get a hand on you like this… Think you can manage coming on my cock?"

Quiet little puffs of air escaped the gap of Cloud’s creeping smile. "Think you can _make_ me?"

"Wha…" Barret laughed too, dangerously deep. "Damn, Cloud… Did I mention I missed you, you mouthy bastard?"

"Mighta said something." Rolling his face, wrinkling the sheets, Cloud said, "C’mon. C’mon, Barret. Give it to me."

Barret swore. His hold on Cloud then started to become lax. "Wait… forgot-"

Cloud said, _Barret_ , again. Said, "Good like this."

"You, uh… you sure 'bout that?"

"Wanna feel you."

"…Fuck."

Barret let him feel him.

Cloud shoved himself back to Barret’s girth. In reaction Barret’s grip tightened, bending Cloud’s arms sharply toward his neck.

Cloud had _really_ missed the big bastard and his effortless manhandling.

He hissed through his teeth. Shoulders were still tight, despite Barret’s rubdown in the bar. Cloud snapped, "Don’t hold back," anyway. A reminder that Barret had said he couldn’t.

Rapid fire bursts Barret gave with his hips, at the same time yanking Cloud in by the wrists. " _Ah - fuck!_ " Cloud shouted, when he pulled enough breath to.

"You don’t gotta tell me how you like it."

Cloud moaned, _Barret…_

"I know how close you really are. Ever since I got my hands on you down in the bar. Felt you pressin’ on me when I carried you in here."

Cloud clenched his teeth, as he strained to shove his forehead deeper into the bed every time Barret dragged him back. " _Ah, ah!_ Sh- _shit! Barret-_ "

" _Mm,_ yeah… Don’t you hold back, either. Wanna _hear_ you."

Cloud unlocked his jaw, moans set loose with each pounding thrust. That insane, pinpoint accuracy of Barret’s was smacking its target every time, sending blasts of hot pain and pleasure through Cloud’s frame. Cloud lost himself for an instant, his back bowing unintentionally and overpowering Barret, until Barret pushed him to dive inward again. He ground the bones of Cloud’s wrists with bruising force.

Cloud hollered, spilling in the narrow space between body and bed. He quivered, being held together by his wrists still in Barret’s hand.

His breath came ragged. When he had the sense to speak again, he rasped at Barret to keep going.

"Hell, man."

"Said I wanna _feel_ you. _Keep. Going._ "

"Goddamn fucking… _Cloud._ "

Suddenly Barret released Cloud’s arms, making him fall awkwardly against his cheek. His arms were sore, partially numb, when dropping to the bed and almost failing to catch him.

And then he was surrounded, Barret pressing down entirely to Cloud’s prone body, his arm shoving its way under Cloud’s chest to bracket him, the side of his face pressing against the side of Cloud’s gasping one. He rut. The angle deepened.

Cloud grimaced, feeling Barret fill him, feeling his own cock fill almost painfully again. He swung his arm to hold the back of Barret’s head, before Barret sat back and out from under it, keeping his hand on Cloud to hold him in the right place as he started to falter, with shuddering starts and stops.

The sudden glide out left Cloud in shock. He clenched on nothing, croaking at the loss.

Hot, wet splatters landed on his bare back. Barret yawped. Then he grunted, as the last drizzles leaked.

His cock slapped, when Barret let go of himself and yanked Cloud’s hips up from the bed to reach around. Every tug too tight, as tight as was needed to pull Cloud’s second orgasm out. Cloud whined, strained and quiet, at the dry, violent twitch it happened with. After, Cloud shook, braced on hands and knees.

His back prickled, a slow trail dripping toward the span between his shoulder blades. Then his skin there grew cool, Barret dragging off the bed. To grab for his shirt, Cloud found out, when he was wiped off with it.

Barricaded again from behind, Cloud considered falling forward was a hell of a good idea. But Barret threw his ruined shirt away so he could grab Cloud instead, rolling and repositioning them, so they pressed stomach and chest. Against Barret, Cloud slumped.

Barret’s chest heaved still. Cloud soaked up the feel of his tough, thick skin. Eventually, it was Cloud who pulled himself up to meet Barret face to face. To kiss him deeply.

Barret made a questioning noise at what Cloud wasn’t saying. Cloud just kissed deeper. Finally answered, echoing something Barret had once said, when he lifted back.

"Just… showing some appreciation."

"Nah, I got that. Actions louder than words with you, and all." The wide pads of Barret’s fingers dragged up and down the middle of Cloud’s back.

Crossing his arms on top of Barret’s clavicle, Cloud set his chin where it wouldn’t hurt to, and closed his eyes.

"Doin’ okay?"

An affirmative sound from Cloud. Barret picked up one of Cloud’s wrists, not missing the barely there furrow of Cloud’s brow when he did.

Skin was already purpling with the shadows of Barret’s fingerprints. "Oh, uh, hell. A little rough, huh?"

"’S fine." Barret, overly gentle, placed Cloud’s wrist back down. Cloud readjusted to brush the hairs covering Barret. He glanced back up, his smirk small. "How I like it. Right?"

Nothing but fondness when Barret chuffed and said, "You’re a real piece of work, Cloud."

"So you’ve said." Cloud’s shoulders shifted for a shrug. "They’ll heal quick. Probably be gone by tomorrow."

 _Friggin’ SOLDIER,_ mumbled Barret. Cloud’s smirk grew long again. Then his lids dropped back down over his eyes.

He felt his breaths starting to sync with Barret’s slower, deeper, steadier ones. He’d never slept since coming back, like Marlene had admonished him to. Exhaustion covered him like an avalanche, finally.

"Yeah…" Barret held Cloud around the shoulders, bending to press his mouth to the top of Cloud’s head. "Get some shut eye. You can rest, now."

Barret murmured something else against his hair. Cloud sighed, then hummed as his last conscious response.

" _Mm_. Love you, too, Barret."

**Author's Note:**

> @highfivestrife (nsfw)


End file.
